Automatic car and pipe coupling.



T. R. BROWN. AUTOMATIC CAR AND PIPE comma.

APPLICATIONYFILED APR.M.1914

mmm m 11; 119W.

2 sums-sneer 1.

LR. BROWN. AUTOMATIC CAR AND PIPE COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED APR. 14. 1914'.

l m Patented Dec. 11,191?

2 SHEETS-SHEETZ.

WITNESSES THOMAS n. renown, or sran-KILL; roan, nssrenon TO THE WESTINGHOUSE are BRAKE COMPANY, or wrmvrunmive, rnnnsrnvnnm, a cozaronnrron or runn- SYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC CAR AND BIPE' COUPLING.

rea ers. h

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS 1%. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sparltilhin the county of Rockland and State of New Yorlnhave invented'new and usefullmprovements in AutomatioCar and Pipe Couplings, of which the fOllOWlng 1s a specification.

This invention relates to coupling dc 1 pler being known as the rigidftight lock type. Such a construction is set forth in Patent N0. T08,7 l7 of George Westinghouse, dated Sept. 9th, 1902.. V

With this form. of rigid lock coupler, it is necessary that both of the locks of the two counterpart couplers should be released, in order that the same may be separated and the cars pulled apart. 1

One object of my invention contemplates providing a tight lock car coupler in which counterpart couplers may be separated upon releasing only one of the locks.

, Another object of my invention is to provide a tight lock coupler in which the hook shaped projection is movable.

Another object of my invention is to provide. a tight lock coupler having a movable hook shaped projection and a rigid projection adapted to interlock with similar projectionson a counterpart coupler, and a lock for tightly clamping together the movable projections of the counterpart couplers.

Various other objects and advantages will be, apparent in the following more detailed description of my invention. j y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1v is a horizontal section of'two counterpart couplers in thecoupledposition, and embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical section. thereof; Fig. 3 a fragmentary plan view, showing the rigid projections of two counterpart couplers interlocked; and Fig. 4 a horizontal section of two counterpart couplers in the act of coupling, showing a coupler embodying my invention where only the. movable hook. shaped projection is employed.

Specification of LettersPatent. Application filed April 14, 1914. SerialIiTo. 831,787.

Patented Dec. 11,191'7.

As shown in the drawings, the coupler H may comprise a casing l, pivotally connected to. the draw bar 2, and having a depending a1'1n 3 adapted to bear against the end of a spring pressed pin 4.. mounted on the draw-bar 2 for yieldingly holding the coupler in a horizontal position.

The casing 1 has a meeting face adapted to engage the corresponding face of a counterpart coupler, and within the casing is, pivotally mounted on a pin 5 an arm 6 having at its outer end ahook shaped projection 7. 1

The projection 7 has a vertical plane surface 8, preferably inclined, and adaptedto engage a similar surface of the hook shaped projection in a counterpart coupler.

A movable locking lever 9 is pivotedwitlr in the casing nd has a cam face 10 adapted to bear against a surface 11 on the outer side of the projection 7, the surface 11 being preferably extended to the extreme end of the projection to serve as a guiding means in the act ofcoupling. The locking lever 9" is provided wlth an arm 12 through which the lock mayberelease'd and a spring 13 acts on the arm 12 and tends/to maintain the lock in engagement with the surface 11.

In order to assist in the disengagement of the projections 7 of counterpartcouplers in uncoupling, the arm 6 carries a lug 14 against. which a spring 15 acts to throw the arm 6 outwardly, the outward movementof the arm 6 being preferably limited by a stop 16 in the casing 1. l

The horizontal faces of the arm 6, shown in Fig; 2, are preferably machined to engagecorresponding machined surfaces in the casing, in order to maintain the arm 6 in horizontal alinement.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and. 3 of the drawings, rigid projections 17 are provided on opposite sides of the casing 1 having inclined vertical plane surfaces18 adapted to engage corresponding surfaces on a counterpart coupler in coupled position,

a recess. 19 being provided in the face ofthe I casing 1 for receiving projection 17.

One or more fluid pressure conduits 20 may be arranged in the casing 1 with openings containing gaskets 21 at the meeting face of the coupler.

The lateral horizontal faces of the projection 7 are tapered to the point of the projection to provide assistance in guiding the parts lnto plmg proper alinement in the act of cou-.

., :When uncoupled, the arm 6 rests against tllesStOP' 16, beingyieldingly held there by the spring 15,

bringing the same together, the outer extremity of the hook-shaped projection 7 first I engages the surface 22 of the lock ng lever backmore or less to a position such as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

' As the meeting faces of the counterpart couplers further approach each other, the

hook-shaped projections 7 are gradually brought together, with the vertical plane surfaces 80f the rojections in engagement, the face 23 of the lug 1 L also serving to guide the projections during the final movement in the act of coupling and in the cou- I pled position, the locks 9 move outward and engage the respective surfaces 11 of the counterpartprojections and clamp the same tightlytogether. V V a r r In couplng up, the rigid projections 17 of the counterpart couplings are caused to interlock with-the vertical plane surfaces 18 in engagement,as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and the couplers are tightly clamped together by the action of the locking levers 9, the cam faces 10 of which constantly tend to take up any lost motion, by engagement with the surface 1.1 of thehook shaped rojections. J u u p With the tight lock coupler as previously constructed, it is necessarv to shift both of the locking levers of counterpart couplers to release position before the couplers can be separated. One of the important advantages of the present coupler is that couplers may be separated upon shifting either one of the locking levers of the counterpart coue plers to release position. The above will be evident from the fact that in uncoupling, if one of the locking levers 9 is turned to re- 7 please position, the pivoted lever 6 with its hooked'sh aped projection? ofthe other coupler is freeto swing laterally about its pivot pin 5 and thus become disengaged from the other hook-shaped projection 7 as the cars separate, the contacting surface 8 of the moving hook-shaped projection 7 sliding along. the surface 8 of the stationary projec tion 7 of the other coupler.

The construction shown 1n Fig. 4 of the.

f it is desired to eifect the coupling between counterpart couplers, upon drawings is the same as that shown in Figs.

1, 2, and 3, except that the fixed hook-shaped projections 17 are not employed, and the operation is substantially the same except that the couplers can move to the coupled position without the lateral movement required where the fixed projections 17 are employed.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A car coupler comprising a casing, an arm pivoted in said casing and provided with a hook-shaped projection adapted to interlock with a similar projection of a counterpart coupler, a locking lever also pivoted on said casing for clamping together the hook-shaped projections of counterpart couplers and adapted to serve as a guide for directing the projections into coupled posi tion.

2. A car coupler comprising a casing, an arm pivoted in said casing and provided with a hook-shaped projection adapted to interlock with a similar projection of a co t p r o p e a locking lever also pivoted on saidcasing for clamping together the hook-shaped projections of counterpart couplers and adapted to serve as a guide for directing the projections into coupled position, and mean carried by said arm for also guiding the projections to the coupled position. V

3. A car coupler comprising a casing, an arm pivoted in said casing and provided with a hook-shaped projection adapted to interlock with a similar projection of a counterpart coupler, a locking lever also pivoted on said casing for clamping together the hook-shaped projections of counterpart couplers and adapted to serve as a guide for directing the projections into coupled position, and a lug carried by said arm and provided with a guiding surface for directing the movement of the projections in the act of coupling.

4. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head having a rigid hook-shaped projection adapted to interlock by a relative lateral and longitudinal movement in the act of coupling with a similar projection on a counterpart coupler head, of an arm pivoted in said head and carrying a hookshaped projection adapted to interlock with a similar projection of a counterpart coupler head, and means for clampingsaid pivoted arm in locked position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS R. BROlVN.

Witness:

S. W. KEEFER.

copies of this pm ipay be obtained for fivecejxits each, by 'addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

